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Belal Muhammad provides update on UFC Vegas 21 eye damage

Belal Muhammad UFC Vegas 21 eye injury
Belal Muhammad UFC Vegas 21 eye injury

To say that the UFC Vegas 21 main event didn't go the way that Belal Muhammad intended would be a massive understatement. He didn't lose the fight, but it ended in a no contest and him making a trip to the hospital.

Though Leon Edwards took the fight to Muhammad in the first round, he withstood several hard shots and head kicks from the no. 3 ranked UFC welterweight. Not only that, but Muhammad answered with a few decent punches of his own.

But in the second round, just as things were starting to heat up, Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye.

The poke left Muhammad screaming in pain, his eye immediately swelling. Referee Herb Dean didn't wait long to wave off the bout.

The eye poke was illegal, but also ruled unintentional, so the bout was ruled a no contest. Certainly not what either fighter wanted.

Muhammad skipped the UFC Vegas 21 post-fight press conference, but provided an update a short time later on Twitter.

"My heart is shattered (that) my first main event ended like that, but God is the best of planners. I am sorry to the fans and the UFC. You deserved a full fight," he wrote.

"Alhamdillah, the vision is coming back and no permanent damage to the eye. I’ll be back and want to run it back Leon Edwards."

Leon Edwards believes he doesn't need to fight Belal Muhammad again

It's not clear that running it back is even a possibility. Edwards didn't completely rule out the idea, but said at the post-fight press conference that he felt he didn't need to rematch Muhammad.

Edwards said he believed that he is still worthy of a shot at UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in his next bout.

UFC president Dana White did not attend the post-fight press conference or comment on what is next for Edwards or Muhammad.

UFC Vegas 21 main event – Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad – waved off
UFC Vegas 21 main event – Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad – waved off

UFC Vegas 21 results: Edwards eye poke ends in no contest, overshadowing several knockouts

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